Printing device



G. FUSSELL.

PRINTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-15, 1919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET-l- INVENTOR. eo geiusaeil,

E ATTORNEY.-

G. FUSSELL.

PRINTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 15, I919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920 A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATE GEORGE FUSSELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PRINTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd Mar, 30 1920,

Application filed. September 15, 1919. Serial No. 323,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FUssELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPrinting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved printing device,particularly adapted to the extremely unusual conditions and demandsincident to printing the words of a song upon the ordinary perforatedweb of a so-called player-piano music-roll.

In this industry, the printing of the words of any given compositioncannot be in the usual form of words following each other consecutivelyupon separate lines and several upon each line, but must appear assingle words, and often as individual syllables thereof, each upon itsown line and reading as it were from the bottom toward the top of themusic-roll, when said roll is faced by the player of a reproducing pianoor other musical instrument, and the roll is in the normal operativeposition passing over the surface of the usual tracker-board.

Many forms of printing devices have been tried to accomplish the desiredresults in this line, but it must be remembered thatthe average musicrolls run from approximately feet up to 32 feet in length, and that'tohave a revolving drum to carry type from a single roll would necessitatesuch a drum having a diameter of at least 10 feet, which would beungainly and cumbersome.

It has also been tried to arrange the Words spirally upon a smallerdrum, but it has been found with this arrangement that it is almostimpossible to have the words and their syllables register exactly withthe characteristic perforations of a musicroll while determiningthe'note'or chord which must be struck simultaneously with the pronunciation of a certain characteristic syllable in a givenmusicalcompositio-n.

In addition to the above, other methods of printing these music-rollshave been devised,

with the result that today the only feasible method is that madepossible by the use of sectional stencils, but which are ineiiicient,have no. positivemeans of insuring their register with the perforationsofthe roll.

and do not insure a uniform intensity and evenness of the application ofthe printing ink.

lVherefore, in view of the foregoing and other facts well known to thosefully acquainted with the industry, the object of this invention is toprovide a support for musicrolls, each of maximum length and extendingin. fiat open position, an inking surface positioned in spaced relationfrom theimpression' base carrying the said perforated music-rolls, anoscillatable support for any suitable form of type, preferably parallelarms or links operative to move the typesupport from the inking surfaceto the impression base alternately, a gear-connected to operate each ofsaidarms, a rack connecting and operative to revolve said gears inopposite directions to a suitable source of power to operate said rack,and means between said power source and said rack to permit said rack toyield as it approaches onelimit' of movement, in order to stack againsta considerable thickness of blank rolls which at the beginning of theoperation may be placed upon the impression base to be printed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises noveldetails of construction and operation fully brought out in the followingdescription, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings',in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section takenonthe line 2-2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3+3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is adiametrical sectional view of the driving-gear shown at the top of Fig,2; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the operating links for the typesupport; Fig. 6 is a'longitudinal trans verse section of-thc same; Fig.7is a bottom plan view of one form of type support, showing several wordsposition-ed therein in the form of type; Fig. 8 is 'a fragmentary viewshowing one method of securing said type support in operative position;Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view of' the same; and Fig. 10is an enlarged detail transev verse; sectional view showing the.yielding means between the" source of power and the operating rack.

Referrin to the drawin s a tableis roa 1 p r vided having a plurality ofsections of different elevations, and comprising a platform 1., uponwhich is secured a suitable inking surface 2, a platform 3 slightlylower than said first named platform, and upon which any convenientnumber of blank perforated music-rolls 4 may be laid in flat extendedposition, and-a third platform or shelf 5 supported by brackets 6, andupon which said rolls are placed as soon as they are printed, saidplatforms being supported by means of transverse spaced members 7supported by suitable uprights 8, which may, if desired, rest directlyupon the looror other foundations.

Extending upwardly from the rear of, and preferably secured to, thestructure above described are spaced beams 9, each provided with a pairof spaced brackets 10 one superimposed above the other, and eachprovided with adjustably positioned journal boxes '11, in which arerevolubly mounted spaced shafts 12, two of which are provided with gears13 rigidly keyed to each of the shafts upon which they are mounted andconnectedby means of a rack 14.

' Secured to each of the end portions of said shafts is a link 15,having an oscillatcounter-ha]ancing weights 19.

able centrally apertured portion 16 and an enlarged section 17 extendingin the opposite direction, and providedwith means 18 for securin'thereto any desired number of Secured to the end portion 16 of each ofsaid links is a pin 20, which is also revolubly mounted in a journalbearing 21 secured to spaced bars 22, which are connected at their lowerends by means of longitudinally extending rods 23 and guy-braces 24-,while said rods in turn are provided upon their under surfaces with ahead 25, having pivotally secured thereto along one edge portion bymeans of links 26 any suitable holder 27 for type 28, such for instanceas block sections of rubber type.

The type holding means 27 may be oscillated with respect to the head 25,so that the former swings into such position as to make it easy toattachthereto or detach therefrom the type to be used in the printingprocess, said type supporting means, however, being normally securedrigidly with respect to said head by any suitable'means,

such for instance as aplate 29 and thumbscrew 30 clearly shownin Figs. 8and 9:

. The said rack leis operative to reciprocate vertically in a: pathfl-XQ'Cl by means of guides 31" carried by each of the brackets 10,while to theuppermost end portion of said rack there is sec'ureda blockc'omprising spaced" parallel members 32 adapted to reciprocate inguides'33 supported by the I V beams 9, and connected attheir uppermostportions by la centrally aper-turedhead 34,

through which slidably extends a pin 35,

surrounding the lower portion of which, between the members 32, is acoil-spring 36, the tension of which is adjustable by means of a bolt 37carried by, the threaded end of said pin. Adjacent to the upper end ofsaid pin, the same is provided with a radially extending flange 38,beyond which said pin terminates in a centrally apertured bore 39, whichis pivot-ally connected by a pitman d0, while the flange 38 of said pinis nor mally spaced from the head 3a by means of a centrally aperturedblock 41 of yielding material.

The pitman a0 is connected by means of a radially adjustable bolt 42 toa driving-gear 4L3, which in turn is revolved continuously by means of apinion 44,- connected to revolve in unison with any suitable form ofpower transmission members, such as the belt-wheel 4:5 driven from anysuitable source of power, said gears 13 and atibeing supported by meansof any suitable frame 46 maintained in constant uniform relation rises,it operates the said rack to oscillate the bars 22 toward and firmlyinto cooperationwith the uppermost of a pile of musicroll sheets 4 uponthe impression base 3.

Now if the adjustable bolt 37 is so posi-- tioned that the mechanismillustrated in detail in Fig. 10 remains as shown, when the typecontacts with the last single sheet of a pile upon said impression base,then it is obvious that without the interposition of the coil-spring 36,the gear 43 could not carry the pitman 40' over its uppermost deadcenter whenthe type contacts with the uppermost sheet of a pile uponsaid impression base. As it is, the type contacts with the top sheet ofa pile with. but slightly greaterpressure than it does finally with thelast sheet of said pile, but the pit'man 10 and pin 35 continue to moveupwardly until the former safely passes the uppermost dead centerandstarts its downward movement tooscilla-te the type-carrying'means againtoward the ink supplying surface;

As, each top sheet upon 'the impression base receives an impression ofthe type,

which same comprises the words and syl l'athe same is removed by hand orotherwise to the shelf 5, thus exposing to, the printing operation thenext lower sheet of the pile.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A printing machine,comprising an impression base and an ink surface lying in parallelplanes, a typeholder, a pair of link pivotally supported and pivotallyconnected to said typeholder, a gear connectedto and movable with eachlink, and a rack connecting said gears, to operate said links in unison,to oscillate said typeholder between said base and said surfaceintermittently.

2. A printing machine, comprising an im pression base and an ink surfacelying in parallel planes, a typeholder, a pair of linkspivotallysupported and pivotally connected to said typeholder, a gearconnected to and movable with each link, a rack connecting said gears,and a source of power connected to operate said rack, to operate saidlinks equally and in unison, to oscillate said typeholder between saidbase and said surface intermittently. V

3. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surfacelying in parallel planes, a typeholder, a pairof links pivotallysupported and pivotally connected to said typeholder, a gear connectedto and movable with each link, a rack connecting said gears, means toconnect said rack to a source of power, and means to permit said rack toyield with respect to said connecting means when near one limit of itsmovement.

4?. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surfacelying in parallel planes, a typeholder, a pair of links pivotallysupported and pivotally connected to said typeholder, a gear connectedto and movable with each link, a rack connecting said gears, means toconnect said rack to a source of ower, and means to permit said rack toyie dwith respect to said connecting means, when type carried by saidtypeholder is in contact with an article upon base.

5. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surface,a typesupport, a pair of links pivotally supported and pivotallyconnected to said type-support, a gear connected to and movable'witheach link, and a rack connecting said gears, to operate said links inunison, to oscillate said type-support between said base and saidsurface intermittently.

6. A printing machine, comprising an im- 7 pression base and an inksurface, a type-sup: port, a pair of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said type-support, a gear connected to andmovable with each link, a rack connecting said gears, and a source ofpower connected to operate said rack, to operate said links equally andin unison, to oscillate said type-support between said base and saidsurface intermittently.

7. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surface,a type support, a pair of links pivotally connected to andpivotallysupported by said type-support, a gear connected to and movablewith each link, a rack connecting said gears, means to connect said rackto a, source of power, and means-to permit saidrack to yield withrespect to said connecting means when near one limit of its movement.

S. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surface,a typesupport, a pair of links pivotally connected .to and supported bysaid type-support, a

gear connected to and movable with each link, a rack connecting saidgears, means to connect said rack to a source of ower, and meanstopermit said rack to yield with respect to said connecting means, whentype carried by said type-support is in contact.

with an article upon said base.

9. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surface,a type support, a link pivotally. supportedand pivotally connected tosaid type-sup ort, to operate said support between saic base and saidsurface intermittently, and means to counter-balance the weight of saidtypepupport upon the pivotal support of said impression base and an inksurface, a typesupport, a plurality of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said typesupport, to operate said support betweensaid base and said surface intermittently. and means to counter-balancethe-weight of said type-support upon the pivotal'support,

support, a plurality of links pivotally sup- 101A printing machine,comprising an ported and pivotally connected to said typesupport, a gearconnected to-and movable with each link, means connecting said gears, tooperate said supportbetween-said base and said surface intermittently,means to counter-balance the weight of said typesupport upon the pivotalsupport of said links, and a source of power connected to operate saidgear-connecting means.

13. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an inksurface, a type support, a plurality of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said typesupport, a gear connected to and movablewith each link, means connecting said gears, tooperate said supportbetween said base and said surface intermittently, means tocounter-balance the weight of said. typesupport upon the pivotal supportof said links, means to connect said gear-connecting means to a sourceof power, and means to permit said type-support to yield with respect tosaid last-named means. V

14. A printing machine, comprising an impression base-and an inksurface, a typesupport, a plurality of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said typesupport, a gear connected to andmovablewith each link, means connecting said gears to operate the same inunison, means adapted to connect said last means to a source ofpower,and means to permit said type-support to yield with respect tosaid connecting means when approaching one limit of movement.

7 15. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an inksurface, a typesupport, a plurality of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said typesupport, a gear connected to and movablewith each linlg'meansconnecting said ears to operate the same in unison,means adapted to connect said last means to a source of w )ower means to)ermit said t Y e-su ort ported and pivotally'connected to said typ 7support, means to operate each link, and

-meansconnecting said first means to operate said links in unison.

17 A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an ink surface,atype-- support, a plurality of links pivotally supported and pivotallyconnected to said typesupport, means to operate each link, meansconnecting said first means to operate said 7 links in unison, and meansto counterbal- Y ported and'pivotally connected to said typeanoe theweight of said type-support.

18. A printing machine, comprislng an impression base and an inksurface, atypesupport, a plurality of lmks-pivotally supsupport, meansto operate each link, means connectlng said first means to operate 831d11nks 1n unison, and means adapted toconnect said last means to a sourceof power.

19. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an inksurface, a typesupport, a plurality of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said type- I support, means to operate each link,means,

connecting said first means to operate said links in unison, meansadapted to connect said last means to a source of power, and means tocounterbalance-the weight of said typesupport.

'20. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and aninksurface, a type support, a plurality of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to sa d typesupport, meansto operateoaoll l k,moans.

means when type carried by said support is in contact withan articleuponsaid' base.

21. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an inksurface, a typesupport, a pair of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said type-support, a gear connected to andmovable with each link,- a rack connecting sald gears, to

operate said links in unison, to oscillate said type supp'ort betweensaid base and sald surface intermittently, and means carried by eachlink to counter-balance the weight of said type-support.

22. A printing machine, comprising an impression base and an inksurface, a type support, a pair of links pivotally supported andpivotally connected to said type-support, a gear connected to andmovable with each link, a rack connecting said gears, to

operate said links iii-unison, to'o'scillate said type-support betweensaid base and said surface intermittently, means carried by each link tocounter-balance the weight of said type-support, means to connect saidrack to a source of power, andmeans'to permit said type-support toyieldwith respect to said last named means when type carried by saidsupport is in contact with an article upon said base.

'In testimony whereof I have aflixedmy signature. Y i

' GEORGE FUSS'ELL.

Witness J. STUART FREEMAN.

